Boycott says Indian batting line up is "toothless" now

Published: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 11:37 [IST]

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London, Oct 5 : The Indian batting line up, which once had batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Saurav Ganguly reaching their peak together, had lost its sheen, and this was particularly witnessed in the recent Test series against Sri Lanka which India lost 1-2, said former England Test opener Geoffrey Boycott.

He said that the England side, which would tour India next month, would win the series, as, according to him, the famed Indian batting was now "toothless" with their five great players past their peak.

Though he said a tour of India for any international side has always proved to be a tough assignment.

"Think of that period in the early part of this decade when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Saurav Ganguly reached their peak together. Shane Warne went to India three times and averaged over 40. They just batted him out of the game," the Dawn quoted Boycott as writing in a column in The Telegraph.

Boycott said the Indian team was now in the state of flux and could be easily beaten if the England bowlers go hard at them. "The pace of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison will be England's biggest weapon, because the senior batsmen should all be vulnerable early on to quality fast bowling," he wrote in the column.

"A tour of India is traditionally considered one of the toughest assignments in the global calendar. Yet, I believe it would be a mistake for England to go out there next month with the aim of scrapping their way to a draw. This Indian team are in flux. They can be beaten if you go hard at them. And this is as good a time as any to try," Boycott said in his article.

He added: "India's new chairman of selectors, Kris Srikkanth, faces a huge quandary. The great Indian batsmen are long in the tooth and approaching the end of their careers. Some of them are desperate to prolong their international lifespans, not just because they love the game but probably because of the endorsement deals available. But none of them are the force they once were."